Social media apps may know your exact location

A Surfshark study reveals that all top 10 social media apps collect location data, with X being the most invasive by gathering both precise and coarse location information for all listed purposes, while Reddit is the only platform declaring location data won’t be linked to user identity. The research found that 60% of analyzed apps, including X, Instagram, Threads, Facebook, Pinterest, and Snapchat, collect precise location data for third-party advertising, while 90% gather coarse location data for the same purpose. Location tracking enables detailed profiling of users’ lives, potentially revealing employers, health conditions, and personal relationships through patterns like daily commutes and overnight stays at specific locations. Additionally, 80% of apps use precise location for product personalization and functionality, while 60% employ it for analytics, with X and Pinterest explicitly using location data to track users across platforms and potentially share information with data brokers. Only TikTok and Reddit avoid collecting precise location entirely, relying solely on coarse location data for their operations.​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​​